Is Kate Upton dating Justin Verlander?

Over the weekend, Upton was seen (drunk?) in Verlander’s suite at a Tigers game in Detroit. They were in that MLB 2k12 commercial together earlier this year, after all. So, it might have been a case of a friend simply hooking up a friend.

But there’s more to this picture that leads us to think they are more than friends. It turns out the supermodel and reigning AL MVP and Cy Young winner were spotted together at an Aerosmith concert last Thursday. But wait, there’s even more! Following said Aerosmith concert, they were seen getting quite cozy with each other at a bar (sketchy photographic evidence here). More from CBS Detroit:

Staffers at Coyote Joe’s in Shelby Township, at 22 Mile and Ryan, confirmed the duo were very chummy Thursday night after reportedly taking in an Aerosmith concert. Upton, a Michigan native, was also spotted dancing around in a Tigers hat in Verlander’s suite at Comerica Park on Friday. […] But witnesses at Coyote Joe’s said Upton was “hanging all over” the ace.

The last time Verlander’s romantic life was scrutinized, he was in a relationship with a girlfriend from his college days. The status of that relationship is unclear.

Sure, you can play the friends angle with Upton and Verlander. But who goes to an Aerosmith concert as friends, especially Upton, with Aerosmith music decidedly not Dougie or Cat Daddy music? It was clearly a calculated move by Verlander, particularly for when “Crazy” or “Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” comes up in the set list. There’s nothing “just friends” about an Aerosmith concert, unless you’re both die-hard fans, which I find damn near impossible for a 20-year-old. And then she was allegedly “hanging all over” him at a bar? Yeah, Justin Verlander is likely now the envy of millions of red-blooded American males.

And, suddenly, Verlander giving up five runs in Tuesday’s All-Star Game makes sense.